Climate change: what’s the way forward after COP25?

Her lecture took place in the context of a seminar on ‘Climate change: human rights impacts, obligations for states and non-governmental actors’ organised by professors Valentina Grado and Adele del Guercio at the University l’Orientale.

“This very well attended seminar provided a timely opportunity to discuss the key challenges that states are facing in implementing their obligations under the UN Framework Climate Change Convention,” said Prof. Fornalé. The focus was on the critical implications for affected populations, she said. It also provided an insightful overview of global climate change litigation.

Prof. Fornalé’s lecture was especially pertinent given that the Dutch Supreme Court is set to deliver its final ruling in the Urgenda climate change case on 20 December. The Urgenda Foundation environmental group has sued the Dutch government to compel the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which have devastating consequences for small island states.

COP25 ran from 2 to 13 December 2019 in Madrid.